Thin-film transistor array backplanes for applications such as flat-panel display systems and image sensors have become increasingly prevalent. However, the displays and image sensors using such backplanes remain quite complex and expensive. One of the reasons for the high expense is the use of conventional photolithographic and thin-film deposition processes are often used to fabricate the transistor array backplanes.
In order to lower the cost, alternative processes and materials have been explored. One area of research has been using organic and polymeric semiconductors to replace the traditional silicon-based transistors. However, carrier mobility in organic and polymeric semiconductors, especially solution processable semiconductors, is often lower than carrier mobility in amorphous and crystalline silicon structures. The lower carrier mobility results in slower switching speeds and lower drive currents compared to traditional silicon-based semiconductors. Thus the performance of organic and polymeric thin-film transistors are typically below that of thin-film transistors made from more traditional materials such as amorphous silicon.
Thus a structure or method of improving the performance of organic and polymeric semiconductor transistors is needed.